Police said Archer 1200 prevented vehicle from entering closed Lower Broadway pedestrian zone where hundreds of people were gathered
NASHVILLE, TN, UNITED STATES, October 19, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — A Meridian Archer 1200 mobile vehicle barrier prevented an alleged multiple DUI offender from driving into a crowded pedestrian area on Nashville’s famous Lower Broadway, according to the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department.
The press release from the Nashville Police Department https://www.nashville.gov/departments/police/news/woman-who-tried-drive-closed-section-lower-broadway-late-friday-night-arrested-today-4th-offense-dui-other-criminal-counts explained that a 29-year-old woman tried to drive into a section of Lower Broadway that had been closed to vehicles. Police say an officer with the Nashville Police Department’s Entertainment District Unit directed her to stop, but she kept driving toward the pedestrian area.
Police said one of the city’s Meridian barriers prevented her from traveling onto the closed section of Lower Broadway from 2nd Avenue.
The barrier stopped the vehicle from entering the pedestrian zone, where hundreds of people were gathered. While trying to escape, she crashed into three vehicles and an officer attempting to stop her was slightly injured. Police later arrested her at her home. Police said it was her fourth-offense DUI.
“This is another example of why cities and law enforcement agencies are turning to mobile barriers to protect pedestrians,” said Peter Whitford, President and CEO of Meridian Rapid Defense Group.
“Once again we are hearing from police how the Meridian Archer 1200 barrier system worked effectively to stop the vehicle before it could enter an area where hundreds of people were. We had a similar situation in California at a large concert where the barriers also stopped an alleged drunk driver.”
The Nashville incident highlights the growing use of mobile vehicle barriers to protect people at entertainment districts, concerts, festivals, parades and other large public gatherings where vehicles and pedestrians can otherwise come into close contact.
Nashville has invested in Meridian barriers for use by the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department and other city agencies. The Archer 1200 can be deployed quickly to close streets and establish protected pedestrian zones without permanent barriers.
“The great feedback we are getting from clients is how easy it is to quickly set up a protected area using our mobile barriers,” Whitford said. “In the past, heavy concrete barriers had to be lifted in, or police vehicles or trucks had to be parked for hour after hour at locations. So, everyone is pleased they have found the Archer barriers as the perfect solution.”
Unlike those traditional concrete barriers or vehicles used as temporary roadblocks, the Archer 1200 can be transported, deployed and repositioned as conditions change, providing law enforcement and event organizers with a flexible way to create vehicle exclusion zones.
The Nashville incident is the latest example of the role mobile barriers can play in protecting pedestrians from an unexpected vehicle threat. In this case, police specifically identified a Meridian barrier as preventing a vehicle from entering a closed pedestrian section of Lower Broadway.
Meridian Archer 1200 barriers, Archer Guard and gates are “SAFETY Act Certified” by the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) providing the ultimate standard in keeping people, communities and places safer. For more information about Meridian Rapid Defense Group visit www.meridian-barrier.com.
Eric Alms
Meridian Rapid Defense Group
+1 213-400-9811
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